:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«
*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*
^*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*^
¤^*«:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:«*^¤
@¤^*«:¨¨¨¨ IN  THE  ENDLESS  WINTER   DAY,  ON  THE ¨¨¨¨:«*^¤@
#@¤^*«:¨¨¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS...  WE TRUDGE ALONG ¨¨¨:«*^¤@#
##@¤^*«:¨¨  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   ¨¨:«*^¤@##
###@¤^*«:¨ SNOWED OVER,  IN THE STILL  HOURS  SINCE ¨:«*^¤@###
##@¤^*«:¨¨          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ¨¨:«*^¤@##
#@¤^*«:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:«*^¤@#
@¤^*«:¨¨¨¨     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ¨¨¨¨:«*^¤@
¤^*«:¨¨¨¨¨ GROUND.  RIFLES  ATTACHED  TO OUR WRIST, ¨¨¨¨¨:«*^¤
^*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHARING  IN  OUR BLOODSTREAM. MY  HUSKY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*^
*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨      MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW...      ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*
«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT  DEAL NO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LONG TIME  DAMAGE TO  THE  SHOOTER.  THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ NEXT  FIVE YOU  MUST  SPEND WISELY, THEY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«
*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WILL TAKE DAYS  TO HEAL. THE  FINAL FIVE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*
^*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨ YOU    MUST    NOT    SPEND   AT    ALL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*^
¤^*«:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:«*^¤
@¤^*«:¨¨¨¨ WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN  DAWN, ¨¨¨¨:«*^¤@
#@¤^*«:¨¨¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY FOG...  SOMETHING  IS ¨¨¨:«*^¤@#
##@¤^*«:¨¨ BURNING  WITH  A  DEEP  CRIMSON   FLAME, ¨¨:«*^¤@##
###@¤^*«:¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨:«*^¤@###
##@¤^*«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«*^¤@##
#@¤^*«:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:«*^¤@#
@¤^*«:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:«*^¤@
¤^*«:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:«*^¤
^*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*^